A forest with the saddest fate or "red forest"

The red forest in Chernobyl is confessed to be one of the most dangerous places because of high level of radiation. Nowadays rare species live here: wild horses, feral dogs and other animals and birds.

It's a fact that the red forest also took part in Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident liquidation in Pripyat. Most part of the territory was highly radiated during some days in 1986. The territory of the forest borders the road to Pripyat. Most of trees suffered from radiation but the biologists who studied the territory after the accident claim that lots of soil warms died as well.

The red forest consists mostly of pines. These trees kept an enormous radiation dose as a filter and saved people from intoxication. The reason is that pines have a very dense crown and can keep lots of dust.

Zones of the red forest in Chernobyl

According to radiation harm scientists divided the forest into 4 zones. In the first zone nearest to the station the dose of radiation reached 8000-10000 rad in 1986 and 200-2000 microroentgen nowadays. The explosion destroyed all the plants next to the ruined atomic station and a part of plants in the middle of the forest. The forest was coloured in red, that's why it was named as "red forest".

Later workers destroyed the zone. In this area there also was a tree in a form of a cross, which was called as "Chernobyl cross". The tree was cut out because of enormous radiation dose in nineties. The brunches were burnt out and destroyed in advance.

In the second zone 25-40% of pine forest died and 90-95% of trees were seriously damaged. Young brunches poured down and absorbed 1000-8000 rad.

In the third zone most of new shoots died and yellow pins appeared on some separate segments of branches. Experts noted some changes in growing up. Despites, the plants saved their colour. The level of radionuclides absorption here is 400-500 rad.

The fourth forest zone is situated next to Pripyat. The area is low-polluted. but high doses of radiation in 1986 caused unusual form of branches and a trunk. The colour of trees isn't rusty.